The Hunger Games- Rue's POV
by KatTrisAbeth
Summary: The Hunger Games from Rue's point of view
1. The Reaping

I wake up like it's another normal day, like we will go to the orchards, pick fruit, and return home to eat a meal before doing it all again. But today is not a normal day. Today is the day of the reaping, the day I might become yet another piece in the Capitol's sickening game. I may be only twelve but I'm not stupid.

"Rue!" my mother calls, her voice echoing through the house and interrupting my thoughts. I sigh and drag myself out of bed, plodding to the table where my meager breakfast, if you can call it that, sits waiting for me to eat it. I eat part of it and give the rest to my littlest sister because I am too nerved up to eat. My mother gives me a knowing look and puts a soothing hand on my shoulder. "You'll be okay, little Rue," she whispers. I manage a shaky smile and stand up to push my chair in. I start for the orchards, walking silently, lost in thought.

The day whirls by in a dizzying rush of picking fruit, laughing and talking with Thresh, and finally heading home with Thresh personally escorting me. I grin at him when he opens the door, bowing like a fancy doorman would at the Capitol. "May the odds be ever in your favor, little Rue," he says in an over exaggerated Capitol accent. I wave good-bye, giggling, and walk inside where my mother and sisters are waiting.

"I have a surprise for you, Rue," my mother says, smiling. She pulls out a lacy, light blue silk dress. I gasp.

"That's...that's for me?" I stutter. The dress is brand new and it must have cost my parents a fortune. "But...how?" I whisper. My mother just smiles and gestures for me to try it on. I pull it on and stare into the mirror where a girl I have never seen stands. Her dark skin, wild shoulder length hair, and brown eyes match mine but the dress she is wearing is a foreign object. I stare at the girl in the mirror, at the girl that is dazzling and beautiful.

"You're so pretty, Rue!" my sister Teri exclaims. I agree with her but I don't want to appear prideful so I smile at her.

All too soon it's time to go to the reaping. All of my sisters and my mother file in and watch tearfully as I take my place among the other possible twelve year old tributes. I glance ahead of me and catch Thresh' s eye. He winks at me and turns to face the stage where the mayor of 11 stands, yammering away. Then the mayor introduces our escort, Reyna Terrei, who prances up onto the stage.

"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be _ever_ in your favor!" she chirps. But the odds aren't in my favor. My name is in the glass bowl 26 times. My mother looks at me with a stricken look, pleading me to not get picked. I'm thinking about this as Reyna continues her speech and then announces, "Now it's time to pick our female tribute from District 11!" she pauses as if she's waiting for applause. No one obliges and she gives the crowd a disappointed look. Reyna strides over to the large glass bowl and delicately plucks a slip of paper from the bowl as if it could break at any moment. I wish it would, but unfortunately, it doesn't. She unfolds it, and, pausing for suspense, announces the female tribute for District 11. "Rue Avali!"

Suddenly, the world starts to spin as I make my way to the stairs. I almost fall over, but someone grabs my arm. I look over and see that the person that caught me is Thresh. I look desperately into his eyes, searching for an answer that isn't there. "Little Rue, you can do it," he says, trying to keep his voice strong. He pushes me towards the steps. The small hope I have is that I know that Thresh will protect and comfort my family as I walk into a horrific death trap. And then it disappears as Reyna announces that the male tribute for 11 is Thresh.


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, guys, thanks to the two people that reviewed this story, I definitely appreciated that. A whole lot. I know there are a few mistakes in the previous chapter, just ignore them because I tried to fix them but it wasn't updating . Reviews make me very happy, so please review!**

***DISCLAIMER- Most characters and dialogue belong to the brilliant Suzane Collins***

_There must be a mistake. There must be a mistake._ These words run steadily through my head to the rhythm of my quickly beating heart, but a glance at Thresh confirms that there is no hope left. Thankfully, everything has stopped spinning, and I would be able to see if not for the tears blurring my vision that are held back by willpower alone.

"Any volunteers?" Reyna chirps, the fake smile still plastered on her face. I look hopefully at the crowd, but no one volenteers. My fate is sealed. I sneak a look at my mother, who is beside herself, sobbing silently. On her lap sits my baby sister, only a year old. She doesn't understand what is going on. She waves at me, which almost causes the tears I have held back to overflow and spill down my face. But I don't want to appear weak. I close my eyes for a minute and take a deep breath. _Win this for them,_ I think. I realize that as I was collecting my thoughts the mayor has finished the dull Treaty of Treason and looks expectantly at us. I sigh and shake Thresh's hand. He looks down at me and squeezes my hand in what I interpret as a comforting gesture.

Then it dawns on me. I can't kill him. Even though he is years older than me he has always been a close family friend, but most importantly, he has been my friend. I close my eyes and shake my head. If it comes to it, he has to kill me, because I cannot kill Thresh. Part of my reasoning is selfish. I wouldn't be able to live with the guilt. The other part is simply the thought of taking dear Thresh's life. It would be like killing my brother. I step back once we're done shaking hands and wait.

After the anthem ends, a group of Peacekeepers take us into a building and deposit us in separate rooms. I am alone with my thoughts. I take in my surroundings. With lush, thick carpet and velvet chairs, it is the fanciest room I have ever seen, let alone been aloud in. I press my hands to my face and try not to cry because the visiting hour is close approaching.

When my mother walks in I throw myself into her arms. She hugs me close to her body and whispers, "My dear Rue, I will love you forever." There is evidence that she had been crying. I study her face, sweeping my eyes over every detail. I sit down and pull my baby sister onto my lap and kiss her chubby check.

"Sissy," she says. I smile, tears in my eyes, and hug her. The rest of my sisters come over to me, one by one, until they all have given me a hug. All too soon, a Peacekeeper is at the door, telling my family that time is up. My mother hands me a bracelet that I am to wear as a token from my district. One last time, I squeeze her hand and then let go. I take in what would be my last glimpse of my family.

**Sorry, guys, I know that was short, but once we get to the actual games, I promise long, detailed chapters, so hang in there. (Hint: Reviews also help) Thank you so much for reading the first two chapters!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Yay! I'm up to four reviews! Would it be too much to ask to try and get it up to ten? Thanks guys for your reviews and favorites and follows! **

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After watching tearfully watching my family go, I am hustled into a luxurious car. I have never been in a car before. At the train station, there are tons of reporters snapping pictures of our faces. I see Thresh and wave. He waves back, looking as strong as ever. I force myself to not look at the television screen where I'm sure that our faces are broadcasted to all of Panem.

Inside the train, we are shown to a gigantic, fancy suit with a huge bed, a chest of drawers filed with clothes that I'm sure are expensive, and a bathroom with hot and cold running water, a major luxury we could never afford. Heck, most of Panem can't afford running water. After running around like a lunatic, I decide to take a shower. This will be my first ever shower. In 11, we had to boil river water and pour it in a cheap tin bathtub.

After a hot shower I dress in a simple black skirt and a white frilly shirt. A little girly for my taste, but it was the least fancy outfit I could manage. On top of the dresser I find a note that says I can do whatever I want until dinner, which is in an hour. I flop down on the bed and, before I know it, fall asleep.

I wake up to someone knocking loudly on the door. "Rue!" someone calls. By the tone of their choice they must've already said my name a few times.

"Come in," I call, rubbing my eyes. Reyna comes in.

"It's time for dinner," she says, her signature fake smile on her face. I reply with a venomous glare and roll out of the bed. She escorts me to a dinner table with extremely delicate looking china. This, somehow, makes me hate the Capitol even more. While they're spending money on frivolous things like fancy china, people in my district, and for sure others, are starving to death. I shake my head angrily until I see Thresh. I grin and jerk my arm from her grip. I plunk down in the chair next to Thresh. I'm across from someone I recognize as Seeder, one of the two victors from 11. Some people would be awestruck from sitting accross from a victor, but it just makes me angrier. Here is yet another reminder that I have no chance to survive the games.

On the table is every food imaginable. There is mashed potatoes, green beans, steak, chicken, and many, many other foods, all steaming and begging me to eat them. I don't know what to try first! I decide to eat a little bit of each thing that looks good. The problem is, everything looks good. I eat some mashed potatoes first. Who knew something so simple could be so delicious and filling? Suddenly, I am ravenous. I eat everything in sight. Soon I realize that I probably shouldn't have eaten that much. My stomach isn't used to such rich food and I feel sick to my stomach. But when desert comes, my nausea is quickly forgotten. There is once again such a huge selection that it is hard to decide.

After the richest dinner of my life, we are escorted by Reyna to another reason car to watch the reapings of all of the districts. I refuse to watch it. Instead I fiddle with my bracelet, taking time to study the beautifully carved, indicate wood. Reyna notices and presses her lips together in a thin line. I am not usually amused by someone's displeasure, but I find it fun annoying my chirpy Career escort.

After enduring the recap of the reapings, we are once again free to roam about the train. I decide to visit Thresh. I knock on his door and a quiet, "Come in," answers. I slowly open the door and see him sitting on his bed. When he looks up at me, I see tears in his eyes. At first I'm shocked. Could strong Thresh be breaking apart, too? I shut the door and sit down on the bed, the springs squeaking under even my slight weight. "What's up?" he asks with his usual calm manner. I open my mouth and all of my worries spill out.

"I miss Mom, and my sisters, and I'm afraid that I'll die and I hate Reyna and I feel like I could throw up because of the food and-"

"Hold your horses, Little Rue," he interrupts quietly. "You're not going to die." And then he leans over and gives me a hug. I lean into him and he sighs. "You will be okay. You're not going to die." He pushes me away from him and gently shakes my shoulders. "You. Will. Be. Fine." I sigh and shake my head.

"No. I'm small. I'm weak. I'm not well fed. I'm from the poorest district-"

"Yes, that's my point. You know how to survive," Thresh says sternly. I'm tired of arguing, so I just lean into his arms again. He wraps his arms around me, and for a while, we stay like that. I feel safe and comforted in his arms.

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**Gosh, that was long. I guess I owe it to you guys, though. Thanks to my two faithful followers!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Wow. I feel so bad. It's been what, three months? Yeah, you've probably heard the ''I was busy' excuse over and over. I mean, I was busy, but honestly, I was just lazy. I'm sorry. Really, I am. I only got one more review. :/**

**Reviews make me happy, people!**

I press my hands to the cool glass of the window, watching as the sun slowly inches its way into the sky,pinks and reds colliding in a beautiful array of light. Now that the busy rush of yesterday is over, I realize that the accommodations of the train aren't as luxurious as they seemed. The food was amazing, yes, but the dark maroon paint with gold swirls spiraling across the top is peeling, the wooden frames of the chairs at the dinner table chipped and dented, and the running water takes quite a while to heat up, but I'm not complaining. It's way more than I'm used to.

"Rue!" Reyna knocks on my door, her voice falsely cheerful as normal. I glance down at the rumpled dress I slept in, debating if I would be scolded by Reyna for how I look. I decide that I don't care.

"Come in," I say, my voice raspy from disuse. She opens the door with a creak and peeks her head in. This time her wig is curly turquoise hair piled on top of her head and her fake eyelashes are bright pink. I roll my eyes.

"Breakfast is ready," she says, her eyes skimming over my frizzy, tangled hair and wrinkled dress. I can see disapproval in her eyes, but she doesn't say anything, and I'm glad. I get up from the window seat and walk to the door. Reyna grabs my arm to lead me, but I shake her hand off. She glares at me but remains silent. At the table Thresh is seated, along with Seeder and Chaff. I sit down across from Thresh and glare at a bowl of fruit on the table. I remember when my aunt was caught sneaking a basket of fruit to her hungry children. She was whipped in public and to this day I remember the blood streaming down their back, and her agonized screams. I was only four then, and I barely understood what was happening, but the message was clear as my mother hugged me tightly, horror and anger playing across her face. Stealing was a crime punishable by torture, if not death.

Still scowling, I ignore the fruit and instead study a steaming mug full of light brown liquid.

"It's hot chocolate," Seeder says, smiling. "Try it," he adds. I cautiously take a sip of it. It tastes sugary and warm.

"You should try it, Thresh," I say in a low voice. He grins, and soon, he's addicted to the stuff like I am. I take another drink of it and realize that I am hungry. There is a large platter of bacon, a delicacy that we could never afford. I take a bite, enjoying the salty, meaty flavor. On another platter there are round cake looking things. I look at Seeder, puzzled.

"Pancakes," he says. "Put this on it." He hands me a bottle of thick, brownish liquid that smells sweet. I pour some on and take a bite. It is very good, sweet and delicious. I shake my head at the thought that I just had more sugar in one meal that my whole family would have in a year. Suddenly I'm not so hungry any more, and my scowl returns.

After breakfast I go back to my room to sulk. I watch as the train rumbles into the station and finally decide to change. I pull on soft black pants that are made of stretchy but tight fabric and put on a plain white blouse. They were the least girliest things I could find, but the soft, silky material is foreign to me. I don't bother to brush my hair when I pull it back in a pony tail and wait for Reyna to come get. Soon she will leave me to the mercies of a prep team and eventually a stylist. I sigh and lean my head into my hand to wait.


	5. Chapter 5

I lay on the cool metal table waiting for my stylist to come. My skin is tingling even minutes after they yanked out all of the hair on my body except for on my head and part of my eyebrows. Finally a young woman looking to be in her twenties enters. Her strides are sweeping and graceful and her blonde hair tipped with purple is braided elaborately down her back in a style that reminds me of the girl from 12. I remember from what little of the reapings I saw.

"I am Bianca," she says in a soft voice somehow absent of the clipped Capitol accent. She comes over to me. "Sit up, please," she says, and I can't help thinking she is one of the tamer Capitol people. I sit up and watch as she fingers my hair, a smile touching her lips. "Put on your robe so we can talk." She helps me down from the table and studies me as I walk to the hook where the white silk robe hangs. I feel her eyes on my back as I tug the robe on. "Come with me." Bianca leads me to a room that's large, but small by Capitol standards, that overlooks the city.

I run my eyes over her as she sits down on a couch, studying her in the same way she studied me. I like her quiet, calm manner but I'm not sure what to think of her yet. Her appearance also perplexes me. Her long blonde hair seems to be its natural color aside from the purple tips and her skin is not altered grotesquely. She does not have a ridiculously high voice or an accent, either. I tilt my head slightly. She pats the cushion next to her. "Sit down! What are you waiting for?" I sit down, the cushion making a slight poofing sound. "So. For your costume I have decided to dress you up as farmers." I sigh inwardly. Year after year District 11 tributes are always farmers. Seeing the expression on my face, she smiles. "But," she adds, pausing for a momment. "there's something to spice it up a bit. You'll just have to wait and see," Bianca finishes, flashing a grin.

A few hours later I am dressed. My costume is a red shirt made of silk that goes to my elbows and overalls made from black denim. I like how the black contrasts sharply with the red. This Bianca must have good taste. My hair, now stick straight, is pulled into a bun. It was straighted by some sort of iron with two sides to it. Finally, the finishing touch is a crown of sliver laurel leaves that eventually fall down the back of my head and split once they get to the bun and twirl down, finishing in sparkling ribbons. It is beautiful, too elegant for the rest of my costume.

At the bottom floor of the Remake Center we are ushered into chariots with a team of four dapple grey horses. Their manes are twisted with silver ribbons. Thresh climbs in after me looking weary. He is dressed in a similar outfit but his shirt is checkered with blue and white and the crown of laurels is less elaborate. Both of our faces shimmer with glitter.

"You're beautiful," he whispers. That is the last thing I hear before the chariot rolls forwards into the city after the other chariots containing the other tributes. My enemies, the people that will kill me if I don't kill them. My stomach twists at the thought. Suddenly, over the blaring of the anthem, the audience's cheers and applause are wild as 12's chariot rolls in. On the huge screens around us the tributes from 12 are projected. My heart thuds in my throat when I see the flames engulfing their bodies. They're stunning. And for the other tributes this is very bad. Everyone needs good sponsors and they all know that. I see the looks the other tributes throw them, especially the ones from the Capitol. What 12's stylists did to try to help them made them the main target. I shake my head slightly.

"Katniss! Katniss!" the crowd chants. I know they will remember her as the girl on fire. And me? What will I be? Nothing, as always. The little girl, always overlooked. I sigh heavily and don't listen as the president gives an opening speech, but who is he kidding? Everybody's eyes are on the tributes surrounded by flames.

When we're exiting the city the cameras attempt to get at least one shot of each of the districts and I watch as my shimmery face flashes on the screen for a split second before the cameras turn to the tributes from 12, Katniss and Peeta, the tributes on fire.

**Blah. That was boring to write. I hope it wasn't boring to read. Once we get to the games, though, the fun shall begin! **

**Review! Please?**


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